Beet harvester



E. L. WILKINS BEET HARVESTER May 29, 1945.

Filed Aug. 19, 1945 6 Sheei-Sheet. l

a Edurarcl LIV 7&2 717/71 5 A'I'I'D NEYa May 29, 1945.

E. L. WILKINS,

BEET HARVESTER e Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug; 19, 1943 WWW ATTD R N EYS May29,1945. E. WILKINS BEET HARVESTER Fild Aug. 19. 194:5

6 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

ATTDRN EYS a 1945- E. L. WILKINS 2,376,950

BEET HARVESTER Filed Aug. 19, 1943 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 IIYVENZOR. E02 wardI'll/p717? ns .Figure 2 is a side elevation,

Patented May '29, 1945 3 UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,376,950 r a a sv BEET mnvns'rnn V r 3 Edward L'QWilkins, Las Animas, c010. ApplicationAugust 19, 1943, Serial No. 4.9936: (cuss-9) 4 Claims.

The invention. relates to a harvesting machine and more especially to abeet harvester.

The primary object of. the inventionis the provision of a'machine ofthis character, wherein growing beets within the soil are topped,trimmed, lifted and loadedinto a truck or wagon in a. single operationof the machine, thetopper and lifter units of the machine beingsusceptible of independent use from the loading unit optional with theoperator and where the soil is not in 1 of the machine, the latter beingdrawn by a trac tor or the-like and straddling two rows of a crop ofbeets at a time, and the, topping unit, is such that it can bedisconnected'and used to windrow the beets, where they may beQpicked upand loaded with the loading unit.

A furtherobject of the invention is the provision of a machine of thischaracter, wherein the, construction thereof'i unique, compact,automatic in the working thereof," and novel in its entirety. t v

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a machine ofthis character, which is comparatively simple in construction,thoroughly reliable and efiicient in operation, strong, durable, easy ofoperation, economical in the working thereof, and inexpensive tomanufacture and-install. a i

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in thefeatures of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as willbe hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, which disclose the preferred embodiment of the invention, andpointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In th accompanyingdrawings: Figure 1 is a tcpplanyiew of the'machineconstructed in accordance with the invention.

partly broken away. i Figure 3 is a rear elevation. V I 1 .Figure 4 isasectionalview taken on the line 4..4.ofFlgure2.., I, c H

Figure 5 .is a sectional view taken on the line 5-'-5 of Figure 2looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 isa plan' view. of a regulatingshoe for the beet tops.

Figure 7 is a sectional .viewtalxen on-the; line -l---! of Figure .2Jlooking in the directionof the I arrow, I a z. f u

V 8-8 of Figure aIl'OWS- thereof.

Figure Bis a sectional view taken on the line 2 looking in thedirectionv of the Similar reference characters indicatecorrespondingparts throughout the several viewsin thedrawings. I j

Referring to the drawings in detail A designates generally a mainvsupporting frame of the beet harvester machine, and includes aforwardlytapered front hitch end [0, 'its center hitch ll being. for thepurpose of detachable connece tion with a tractoror the ;like (notshown), for the draft of the machine through a cropof growing beets.Hinged or otherwise pivotally connected to this main frame A atthe rearthereof is a vertioally'swinging wheeled rear frame l2, itspivotalconnection 13 being of a detachable type. Within this main frameiA isa vertically swinging beet topper and lifterunit comprisingside-by-side parallel double-yoke frames l 3' which I at their forwardends have pivot arms -II4,theSe bein pivoted at l5 to bearings men thecross sill IT at the front end ID :of the frame A. Each I frame l3 at adistance removed from its rear end has attached thereto cross bracingbridge piece 18 to prevent The rear frame It supports'broad treadtraction wheels {9, which are Journaled on stud axles 20 fixed to thesaid frame having a lateral sub stantially right-angular spread area 2|beyond the main frame A, the ,axle 20 beingjoined thereto. The hingeconnections l3 between, the

main frame A and the rear frame l2 are pref: erably medially of thelatter. end of this rear frame 12 are coupling chains 22 suspended fromthe rear'ends of the yoke frames i 3' for theloose connectiontherebetween, so that when the frames l3 are raised or,lowered similarmovement will be imparted to. the forward end of the rear frame l2.

Formed centrally of the rearmost yoke portions 23 of the frames 13' arebearings 24 for hanger eyes 25 of suspension chains 26, thesebeingconnected with retaining collars 21, embracinghub's 28 for the.power shafts 290i concavoconvex disk type rotatable beet top cutters30,,the shafts 29 being of. the telescopic extensible kind and beingdriven through pinion and gear connections .3I and 32, respctivelmwithadistributing shaft 33 journaled through a housing bracketed at 35 On afront support 36 upon the'main frame A. i

The distributing shaft 33 is operated from a driving shaft 31 throughmeshing companion gears 38, and 39, respectively, the shaft 31 beingspreading of the side portions At the forward- .equipped with auniversal joint 'and being actuated from a power take-off (not shown)lot a tractor.

The frames |3' at their rear carry ground 4 wheels 4|, thesebeingjournaled on adjustablestud axles 42 on the said frames I37.- Aboveand spaced from the frame A and over-hanging the frames I3 is an uprightsupport 4 3 having a feed screw head 44 on the horizontal thereof gin raees seem-45 ri s st' w rh ert en handle 46=and m'eslf'iingfwithaverticallysvifihgmg turning sector 41, these being located at one sideof the frame A and such sector 4.1 has chain cltiiie nection |8with oneof a series of lif ter arnis.

- 49 which through chains 50 are connected Wit the frames |3 for theraising andt-loweringuof the" v sit anther-1 keeper 0 5 5:1501

gray jdirected fteitiany swrng ne radia l u v r 4, rbelngbq'inoted L.latest sa aah Sh at ris. i amon cutter 36 to regulate the dep'th'cr topeatv Theseharriers ts by the latter,

tit e Ea h aft I endther anr righonza 6 or he 1,. rm M 3 1 6, its topstretch a1-be n arra'figed to one side of the machine, that is to say,the a QAt the mouth end et the eelevatbi'riorconveyor 1|] are runners 94which'contact with the ground 1. Zto travel thereon. There are sliplclutches 95 and y f gs, respectively, provided in the connectionslii'inbefore described.

, g'lhe wheels lfl support the entire machine at its U rear, ,yvhil thforward portion of the machine l py in addition to the support themachine will 20 have from the wheels 4| and runners 94, if any 1 "ea e-(Salter-S t .ithey. lift themtrom thfix piuns I, are pushed by therotary peg fi l and :rpi'cked up by' the beater 315w 1c ws jthe" free'ibe'ets onto the: elevator *lflfand this" e "the tiip'pir'iamechariismfrduhcrengaging sh'izes adjustably connectedwith the mainframe and 'with' *the"tbppmg'uhechahiszm'ror'aajustnig the same,adjustable coulters in advancerohthei'said pickers operative adjacent tothe liftingnhechaator dewere them'f-to the screeningtztransfer. zapron'8'| nism, and flexible connections for elevating and loading mechanismon the yoke-frames.

, 2. A machine of the kind described, comprising a main frame havingmeans for connecting beet elevating and loading mechanism thereto,sideby-side yoke-frames having common pivotal connection with the forepart of the main frame, beet topping mechanism suspended in workingposition by said yoke-frames, beet lifting mechanism carried by theyoke-frames and following the topping mechanism, ground engaging shoesadjustably connected to the main frame, and with the topping mechanismfor adjusting the same, adjustable coulters in advance of the saidmeans, mechanism for raising and lowering the yokeframes, ground wheelson the yoke-frames, pickers operative adjacent to the lifting mechanism,

flexible connections for elevating and loading mechanisms on theyoke-frames, and a picker shaft associated with the lifter mechanism.

3. A machine of the kind described, comprising a main frame having meansfor connecting beet elevating and loading mechanism'thereto, sideby-sideyoke-frames having common pivotal con-.

nection with the fore part of the main frame, beet topping mechanismsuspended in working position by said yoke-frames, beet liftingmechanism carried by the yoke-frames and following the toppingmechanism, ground engaging shoes adjustably connected to the main frameand with the topping mechanism for adjusting the same, adjustablecoulters in advance of the said means,

mechanism for raising and loweringthe yokeframes, ground Wheels on theyoke-framespickers operative adjacent to the lifting mechanism, flexibleconnections for elevating and loading mechanisms on the yoke frames, apicker shaft associated with the lifter mechanism, and drivingconnections coacting with each other for the topping, elevator andloading mechanisms, and pickers.

4. A machine of the kind described, comprising a main frame having meansfor connecting beet elevating and loading mechanism thereto,side-by-side yoke-frames having common pivotal connection with the forepart of the main frame, beet topping mechanism suspended in workingposition by said yoke-frames, beet lifting mecha nism carried by theyoke-frames and following the topping mechanism, ground engaging shoespickers operative adjacent to the lifting mecha-' nism. flexibleconnections for elevating and loade ing mechanisms on the yoke-frames, apicker shaft associated with the lifter mechanism, and drivingconnections co-acting with each other for the topping, elevator andloading mechanisms, and pickers.

EDWARD L. WILKINS.

